UPPP H30F - Cities:Focal Point for Sustainability Problems and Solutions - Spring 2020: Home

Researching from home? Use the VPN Links below to access our databases.   Instructions on connecting from off-campus should be followed - for additional information, consult with OIT at 949-824-2222

Software VPN - strongly urge you to rely upon this method if you use the same computer all the time - less hiccups and complications

More Information Regarding the VPN

It is important to substantiate ideas with informed data that can be cited and referenced.  There are many different sources of data from federal, state, county, local, regional & municipalities:

1. census or demographic - we have just launched the 2020 census conducted every decade.  Population of residents informs civic priorities such as legislative representation, funding appropriations from federal, state & local governments.

2. American Community Survey Data on 40 different topics, some related to local California cities done with 1, 3, and 5 yr intervals.

3. housing & homelessness

4. crime

5. environmental impact

6. California Open Data Portal

7. Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Data

8. Public Policy Institute of California Publications & Data

and many other indicators.

Please contact me for specific information about what you are seeking and consult Social Science Data Guide

This quarter you will work on your capstone projects for this class.  Even though you are working remotely, access to the information sources should remain the same and you should be able to access all our databases and the great majority of journal literature from wherever you currently are.  Please make sure that you are using the VPN in Full mode to gain access.  The challenges you may have is working together and I have some hints in this guide for that.  I am available for a zoom conference call / research consultation either with individual students or groups.  Please just send me an eMail indicating a couple of times that work for you and I will confirm.

This guide directs you to resources for each project proposal on the Assignments Tab.  It also suggests some research strategies.  There are some data sets that you may want to review, study and apply.  Also, you may want to look at some local government sources and consider using GIS to map and identify geo-locations where the condition you are studying is most relevant in a given city, zip code range, neighborhood, etc.

If there is additional content that you need please let me know. 

Some hints for achieving success iin group projects:

1. establish a group leader to keep everyone focused and on task
2. contract with one another about what each will deliver
3. share information widely
4. work from an outline
5. remember that group effort contributes to defining everyone's outcome
6. use MS Word Tracking - activate on the "Review" tab to visually show all revisions
7. consider using a platform such as Google Drive to share writing passages and ideas - you will need to register  or share Google Docs (http://www.google.com/google-d-s/b1.html) - you can find additional information about Google Apps for UCI users at http://www.google.uci.edu/
8. Arrange to share information and meet up about your group assignments & projects via Zoom or Skype or another open conferencing site so you can share content and practice presentations for final project